Soft touch remover > Sticky button magic

[TimR]

I mentioned it on here s while back; first time I tried it was on a plastic fuel tank, spurred on by claims, albeit somewhat non specific, of chemical stability. First time I fueled the tank, it ran like a Hollywood star's mascara..!

 

[Scaf]

Not used it anywhere near fuel but like you have read that it is stable, neat time I have use some O will do a test.

I have the black satin splitter / bumper on my Strad that was pitted when I got it and has pitted since I repainted in satin, I may try plastidip and see how that goes.

 

[MAF260]

I used satin black plastidip to good effect on a faded rear valance a few years ago

 

[Oneball]

3200 are pretty easy as it’s actually black plastic rather than paint. Strip the sticky soft touch off and repaint. I used this.

Before

after

 

[TimR]

3200 are pretty easy as it’s actually black plastic rather than paint. Strip the sticky soft touch off and repaint. I used this.

Have to say, if I didnt have the OEM finish elsewhere..I would have gone this way out of preference too............

 

[safrane]

3200 are pretty easy as it’s actually black plastic rather than paint. Strip the sticky soft touch off and repaint. I used this. View attachment 98440

Before
View attachment 98441
afterView attachment 98442View attachment 98443

How did you retain the decals?

 

[Oneball]

How did you retain the decals?

There aren’t any on the 3200 switchgear they’re all plastic, both the black and the white/red parts.

 

[safrane]

So on the AC plate, when you sprayed the eco button for example, why is the 'eco' script not black (covered in paint)... I'm just confused as to how it's done.

 

[Oneball]

So on the AC plate, when you sprayed the eco button for example, why is the 'eco' script not black (covered in paint)... I'm just confused as to how it's done.

The new paint is matt clear. The soft touch is a clear coat. The problem is that the 4200 buttons are white plastic which are the painted black, laser etched and then soft touched so if you use harsh chemicals to remove the soft touch you remove the black paint plus they’re often worn through the black paint to the white plastic underneath. On the 3200 the buttons are a two stage forming of black and white plastic with the clear soft touch painted over the top. Hope that makes sense.

 

[safrane]

I get it now - I do wonder if the GS and the 3200 A/C panel has the same type of buttons as it seems to look like the same piece, although plastic ON THE 3200 and Carbon Fibre in the GS.

 

[MrRMB]

I get it now - I do wonder if the GS and the 3200 A/C panel has the same type of buttons as it seems to look like the same piece, although plastic ON THE 3200 and Carbon Fibre in the GS.

You're right, I think they are the same size. Deleting the screen and going for a more classic look has helped the dash to age gracefully, I would say.

 

[williamsmix]

The new paint is matt clear. The soft touch is a clear coat. The problem is that the 4200 buttons are white plastic which are the painted black, laser etched and then soft touched so if you use harsh chemicals to remove the soft touch you remove the black paint plus they’re often worn through the black paint to the white plastic underneath. On the 3200 the buttons are a two stage forming of black and white plastic with the clear soft touch painted over the top. Hope that makes sense.

That is very interesting, I didn't know about the differences in switch construction between the 3200 and 4200 ... that was Ferrari cutting back on costs, I guess(?)! I didn't know about the matt clear either; I'll try that out if I do my switches.

 

[mowlas]

3200 are pretty easy as it’s actually black plastic rather than paint. Strip the sticky soft touch off and repaint. I used this. View attachment 98440

Thank you Oneball. When I stripped the sticky coating off the three front dash air vents of my QP V, I noticed the plastic is of inferior quality to that used on the infotainment system or any of the buttons (which still look matt and premium with the sticky coating removed). So the TS-80 product could bring the air vents back to a premium look. I note TS-80 is by Tamiya which has a fabulous reputation in the model building world - how has it faired in your 3200 with everyday usage?

100ml TS-80 Flat Clear Spray Can Tamiya 85080 | Scale Model Shop

100ml TS-80 Flat Clear Spray Can Tamiya 85080 Scale Model Shop, UK supplier of plastics Model kits and accessories, fast UK delivery

www.scalemodelshop.co.uk

 

[mowlas]

Maserati, Ferrari etc. would add this extra coating layer on top of the buttons and plastic mouldings to give a softer, flatter, more premium look - obviously not realising or minding the long term consequences that we all see.

So far I have removed the sticky coating from the infotainment system in the centre dash (sides and buttons) and the panel and buttons to the left and right of the steering wheel. 3 hours in total. As A.S. Motorsports and others have said, you need a good product, good microfibre cloths and a lot of patience. I wouldn't mind trying the purpose-made solution that A.S. Motorsport mention. At the time, I used "ValetPRO Citrus Pre-Wash Cleaner with citrus oils" which is used as a pre-wash for exterior dirt and grime. I used it undiluted, which gives you sufficient concentration to remove the sticky layer.

Boy oh boy, you do need nerve, patience and persistence! And you need to keep in your mind, all the time, the idea is that all you are doing is diluting and gently agitating that top surface coating layer. You need to maintain your faith that if that is all you are doing, the underlying button/moulding will retain its image and finishing. Start by gently agitating with the solution for a while to further dilute and weaken it. Only then, should you start removing it - it will come off with the microfibre cloth on the buttons; on flat plastic moulding surfaces such as the infotainment surround, I used a small very soft plastic scraper the size of a 20p coin. There should be no expectation or resignation to the notion of going back to a white plastic button! Start by experimenting and honing your technique on one of the less visible buttons and your confidence and technique will grow to tackle other areas.

After removing, you get a decent looking matt finish that, in my view, still looks premium. I finished it off with a coating of matt finish UV protector, which helps with retaining the premium finish. My next jobs to tackle are the window switches (which may need to be removed first as you do not want the solution to enter the electrics) and the climate control panel and buttons.

For the front centre and side air vents, the plastic doesn't look great once you've removed the sticky layer. They seem to be of lower quality plastic than the infotainment system and other plastic panels. I simply re-ordered new ones as they are so easy to replace. However Mark-RetroM's solution could be a more cost-effective solution for the vents.

As per my earlier post, I have now removed the sticky coating on the infotainment surround/buttons, car setup and button cluster, climate control cluster, control panels to the left and right of the steering wheel and the drivers window control module switch. As Matt and others have said, and as I’ve echoed above, it really is not for the feint hearted and requires days of effort. The window control module was the hardest of all as you need to remove the door fixtures, armrest to get to the switch. The surface plate of the drivers window control module switch (shown on the left of the first photo) was an absolute nightmare to rid of the sticky substance and in the end the plastic surfaces got damaged with amount of abrasion - so for this part I had to coat with plastidip as you can see on the second photo. Everything else you see here is what the underlying plastic looks like with the sticky coat removed. They have a pleasing matt sheen to them. I may look into coating these with clear matt lacquer in the future.

Another top tip is that for parts like the steering wheel column shroud, rubberised centre console (surrounding the gear stick) and rubberised steering wheel controls, you can stave off the stickiness with a decent vinyl protecting product such as Swissvax Matt Protector. Pictures below….

 

[Scaf]

Well worth the effort - great result

 

[Ebenezer]

What a great effort! Chapau!

What about the climate control panel and buttons?

Eb

 

[mowlas]

Well worth the effort - great result

Thanks Scaf, the feedback and encouragement helps to go onto tackle a few more items. Must confess, it feels so pleasant to be in an environment where you can enjoy interaction with the interior surfaces without that horrible sensation!

 

[mowlas]

What a great effort! Chapau!

What about the climate control panel and buttons?

Eb

Thank you Eb, as mentioned to Scaf the encouragement really helps to progress to other areas!
Here’s the climate control panel in more detail but will post better picture in the morning.

 

[montravia]

Thank you Eb, as mentioned to Scaf the encouragement really helps to progress to other areas!
Here’s the climate control panel in more detail but will post better picture in the morning.

View attachment 98877

That is bluddy impressive

 

[Lozzer]

That is very interesting, I didn't know about the differences in switch construction between the 3200 and 4200 ... that was Ferrari cutting back on costs, I guess(?)! I didn't know about the matt clear either; I'll try that out if I do my switches.

Another example of 3200 superior build quality